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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Aug 28

Could be a big deal for many filers, including those who are elderly, disabled, rural, and unbanked:

The Tax Law Center at NYU Law @taxlawcenter.org · Aug 27

Treasury and IRS have not yet announced how they plan to implement the Administration’s executive order ending the use of paper checks for tax refunds. We outline potential issues and recommendations for a sound implementation plan: taxlawcenter.org/blog/rushed-...

Rushed Implementation of Executive Order to Restrict Use of Paper Checks Risks Harming Taxpayers

The Trump Administration issued an Executive Order in March directing the Secretary of the Treasury to stop issuing and receiving paper checks for all federal payments, including tax refunds, by Septe...

taxlawcenter.org

Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · Aug 12

New from me at @brookings.edu:

Unprecedented, dangerous turnover at IRS: Of 31 top positions, 15 have turned over since January, 2 have been placed on leave, 2 are vacant and 3 are slated for elimination.

www.brookings.edu/articles/the...

Organizational chart of the IRS noting turnover, vacancies, staff placed on leave and positions eliminated.

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · Jul 31

Our analysis of the full Joint Committee on Taxation tables of the flawed GOP megabill: a $1T tax cut for the top 1% and a staggering $2.4T tax cut for the top 10%.

Tax cuts of around $500B for households in the bottom 60%--the very folks who also face the brunt of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

The Tax Law Center at NYU Law @taxlawcenter.org · Jul 25

Eliminating multi-language services would make it harder for taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations, set honest taxpayers up to fail and needlessly put tax revenue at risk. The IRS should not move forward with this harmful idea that has no sound tax administration purpose.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jul 24

Exclusive: Trump administration officials are considering eliminating multi-language services at the IRS, according to records obtained by The Post, a move that would make it dramatically more difficult for non-English-speakers to file their taxes.

IRS considers eliminating non-English language tax services

The Trump administration is considering eliminating non-English-language tax services, which could affect millions of taxpayers who rely on multilingual support.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

The Tax Law Center at NYU Law @taxlawcenter.org · Jul 17

We are excited to launch a project to remake federal tax administration. Effective tax administration is critical to the federal government, but has recently faced drastic challenges over the last six months.

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

makena kelly @makenakelly.bsky.social · Jul 17

SCOOP: DOGE moved to kill Direct File, the IRS's popular free tax filing tool, days after meeting with private tax filing software lobbyists.
www.wired.com/story/doge-d...

DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists

A key operative from DOGE initiated plans to potentially kill Direct File, the free tax filing tool developed by the IRS, after offering assurances it would be spared from cuts.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

The Tax Law Center at NYU Law @taxlawcenter.org · Jul 15

This piece confirms grave risk to all taxpayers from DHS efforts to get its hands on legally protected IRS data, risking targeting of US citizens, mistaken arrests, and rampant violations of privacy rights and civil liberties

ProPublica @propublica.org · Jul 15

NEW: The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE

ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.

The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE

ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · Jul 10

TPC corrects the record on taxes on Social Security benefits.

Trump Admin claimed "nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay fed income taxes on their bens"

50.9% of filers w/SS bens paid the tax before
47.3% now

Only 3.6% no longer pay

taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/corre...

Correcting the Social Security Administration About The Big Budget Bill

The misleading communication from SSA may add to the confusion many older adults already feel about the complex retirement insurance program.

taxpolicycenter.org

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

Conventional wisdom had been that no-one can litigate to block these unlawful regulatory giveaways, despite harm to the rule of law, deficits, & the tax system.

But Hemel & Kamin set out above, if you look hard enough, there are potential litigants.

At @taxlawcenter.org, we're looking hard.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

In both icebergs, many of the asks will be for things that are either clearly unlawful, or at the very least aren't the best interpretation of the law.

E.g. see @danielhemel.bsky.social @davidkamin.bsky.social on cap gains indexation papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

The False Promise of Presidential Indexation

The Trump Administration faces mounting pressure from conservative thinkers and activists — including calls from its own National Economic Council director — to

papers.ssrn.com

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

Some examples from implementation of the 2017 TCJA here:

taxlawcenter.org/blog/beware-...

(Much linking to Samantha Jacoby @centeronbudget.bsky.social who had her work cut out for her documenting giveaways that made a bad law worse.)

Beware of “deregulatory” efforts that add to deficits and tilt the tax system to the wealthy

As the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) seeks drastic changes to the federal government in the name of saving money, reporters and commentators have noted that many claimed savings are dub...

taxlawcenter.org

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

The other iceberg is all of the inevitable jockeying and lobbying over regs interpreting and implementing "OBBA". Private interests will pile in and ask for generous interpretations of the law that maximize their tax cuts, sometimes in ways that stretch or overstep what's lawful.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

Industry has already been asking for piles of tax regulatory giveaways, more esoteric than the cap gains ask, but also worth $$$.

E.g. undoing regs preventing large partnerships playing games with basis. Undoing regs on "microcaptive insurance" tax games:

taxlawcenter.org/blog/beware-...

Beware of “deregulatory” efforts that add to deficits and tilt the tax system to the wealthy

As the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) seeks drastic changes to the federal government in the name of saving money, reporters and commentators have noted that many claimed savings are dub...

taxlawcenter.org

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 10

Via @jeffstein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com anti-tax interests want the Trump IRS to give an unlawful tax cut to wealthy people by executive fiat.

Just the tip of one of two big icebergs of tax cuts for special interests coming for the tax system. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Conservatives are asking Trump for another big tax cut

Fresh off passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” some anti-tax advocates hope to push the administration to change how taxable capital gains are calculated.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 3

House-passed, etc.:

Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

The Senate-passed bill weakens the tax system and makes it more regressive, complex, and gameable.

Many of its tax cuts are complicated and wasteful tax breaks that dole out favors to specific industries and activities with little or no good policy reason.

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Reposted by Chye-Ching Huang

Joe Thorndike @joethorndike.bsky.social · Jul 3

The 2017 tax bill was bad for Republican politicians. The 2025 law could easily be worse.

www.taxnotes.com/featured-ana...

Grim Polls for the GOP Budget Bill | Tax Notes

Joseph J. Thorndike examines the results of several polls that report voter support of and opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

www.taxnotes.com

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

To cut taxes for wealthy filers and large businesses, it will take away health coverage and food assistance from struggling families while adding trillions to long-run deficits.

More to come from @taxlawcenter.org, including on changes to the bill released just minutes before the vote.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

The Senate-passed bill weakens the tax system and makes it more regressive, complex, and gameable.

Many of its tax cuts are complicated and wasteful tax breaks that dole out favors to specific industries and activities with little or no good policy reason.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

I.e. a bit more efficient redline. So it might flag sec. 70437 is new. But then you have to check its work. & it's not going to (reliably) tell you that the impact of this cap gains deferral is to make it easier for megafarms to buy out small. Or who asked for it. Or what it costs, or who benefits.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

Responsible lawmakers should insist on enough time to understand what the provisions already in the bill do, what their impact is, and where they come from.

And the same for any coming changes.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

There's very likely more not yet dug up given the ridiculous haste.

Given the new surprises in each round of text, Senators should insist on being able to closely study the final “wraparound” amendment.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

Some surprises (among many):
Spaceport tax breaks
Senate SALT policies more generous than the House
$15B more in CHIPS tax breaks largely a windfall for projects underway
Making it easier for megafarms to buy out family farms

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

House members have been regretting voting for a bill they didn’t have time to understand. One said she “would have voted NO if I had known this was in there.” And she may not have been alone – an amendment to remove the provision (AI reg moratorium) passed 99-1 last night.

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

Turns out the solar & wind tax was a mystery even to lawmakers who released it. The Budget Committee Chairman, who *released the bill text* said the provision is “a secret, I guess. I don't know where it came from.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/con... by @frankthorp.bsky.social @sahilkapur.bsky.social

A megabill mystery: New solar and wind tax comes as a surprise to Republican senators

"I don't know where it came from," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Budget Committee, told NBC News after he released the 940-page legislation.

www.nbcnews.com

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Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · Jul 1

We flagged some of these: bsky.app/profile/dash...

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